## I. ECONOMIC CONSTRUCTION
JANUARY 1910 — MARCH 1920

### A. INDUSTRY
MARCH 1910 — MARCH 1920

3830

### NOTES ON A REPORT SUBMITTED BY WORKERS OF THE MUROM CAST-IRON FOUNDRY
[13 March 1919]

...Although our factory is small, it carries out major state work. At present we are almost the only ones in Murom District who service by means of repairs all the state industry of Murom, Melenkov and Sudogod Districts of Vladimir Province and the Pavlovets region of Nizhny Novgorod Province.... Meanwhile, despite all our efforts and concerns about supplying the factory with the necessary fuel both for smelting metal and for factory needs, we have thus far been unable to obtain supplies of coke and firewood... Failure to receive coke and firewood in the coming days will inevitably result in the stoppage of the factory, and possibly even its closure, and as a consequence the repair of water transport will remain uncompleted and the necessary repairs to the aforementioned state factories and plants will go unsatisfied.

As regards the workers themselves, they find themselves, despite high wages, systematically underfed... In our opinion, we workers of the Murom factory, carrying out work of state importance, ought to receive the same rations as Red Army soldiers and, in case of food shortages in the city, should receive supplies from the military reserves stored in the city....

*

T. Rudzutak! Send me your opinion on what can be done and what you have done.

Lenin.

---

### ON THE POLYGRAPHIC DEPARTMENT OF VSNKH
[15 March 1919]

#### DRAFT OF A SOVNARKOM DECREE

1) Commission for unification and centralization, and if necessary, for drafting a decree.
2) Statistical summary, comparing typographies:
   (1) nationalized under the supervision of the polygraphic department
   (2) nationalized under the supervision of individual commissariats
   (3) private enterprises;
3) Assignment: increase threefold within the deadline?
4) Report in a month?
5) working discipline.
6) piecework.
7) attitude of factory committees toward administrations.

The Sovnarkom decree on the polygraphic department of VSNKH was formulated on the basis of the plan presented above (protocol SNK No. 267 of 15 March 1919). Here is the text of this decree: "a) propose to the polygraphic department that in their tariff regulations they must include a clause on piecework payment. b) create a commission consisting of representatives of the polygraphic department of VTSPS and request the presidium of VTSIK to appoint its representative to it. The commission's task: present within one week a draft decree on unification and centralization. c) Charge the inspectorate department of VSNKH, with the involvement of representatives, within one month to present statistical data regarding nationalized enterprises under the supervision of: 1) The Polygraphic Department. 2) Individual Commissariats. 3) Private enterprises. d) Appoint for the same time a report from the polygraphic department on the question of increasing production, on measures taken to increase working discipline, and on regulating relations between the factory committee and the administration."

3998

### ON THE NATIONALIZATION OF THE PAVLOVSK ARTISANAL COOPERATIVE
9 APRIL 1910

a.

Remind me at Sovnarkom at Rykov's.

b.

Comrade Rykov! Is it true that the presidium decided to "nationalize"? If so, how exactly?

Lenin.

### INDUSTRY

c.

To Comrade Aleksandrov: send a reply to Shtange.

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### NOTES ON THE THESES OF A. Z. GOLTZMAN
[25 April 1919]

3. With respect to wages, this policy expressed itself in support of the so-called "egalitarian" tendency of bringing wages closer together not only between workers and technical personnel of enterprises, but also between skilled workers connected with the factory and workers representing a casual and unstable element for the factory.

4. The "egalitarian tendency" in wages, having rather strong roots among the masses, is explained at the present time chiefly by the circumstance that, encountering no resistance from enterprise management organs, unskilled workers strive to increase their earnings through mechanical increase of fixed tariff rates.

5. At the same time, skilled and highly skilled workers, who for the most part play the role of the brain of the enterprise and who are ordinarily the reserve for increasing the corps of administrative and technical personnel, strive to increase their earnings through increasing labor productivity.

6. This explains the fact that it is precisely the stratum of skilled workers who first raised and first began to implement the slogans: "high wages for high production norms," as well as the slogans of incentive (piecework and various types of premium) systems of payment.

7. The struggle between these two tendencies: a) the tendency of semi-peasant elements in production toward parasitic increase of earnings and b) the tendency of the technical vanguard in enterprises — has until recently been decided in favor of the first tendency thanks to the "workers'" policy of authority, which refused to oppose the strivings of laborers with a firm industrial program.

14. With respect to the methods of management themselves, one tendency of semi-peasants and laborers led to 1) the veche principle of voting on technical and administrative production measures and 2) to complete denial of scientifically organized labor, connected with accounting for production and full utilization of machinery and human force.

To combat these phenomena, or more precisely, to combat complete economic degeneration and growing political discontent with Soviet authority, it is necessary first of all to resolve the question: on which elements in production do we intend to rely?

17. This question must be resolved exclusively in the sense that we decide to rely on industrial elements of the working class, connected with production and struggling for new, improved methods in production.

21. All tendencies destructive of production among agrarian elements must be opposed by industrial programs and methods of the advanced stratum of workers; the position of the latter must be strengthened by the authority of Soviet power. In case of firmness of position, the demands of laborers will cease of themselves.

22. For the implementation of what is indicated in the preceding sections, the following preliminary measures are necessary:

1. Elimination of the principle of majority and minority in questions of enterprise management.
2. Individual management of the factory by a director or manager with general accountability before the chief board and periodic (once in 1-2 weeks) reporting before the factory administration.
3. Right to dismissal without preliminary proceedings of any kind whatsoever. The right of appeal for the dismissed person, of course, remains in force, but appeal can be directed only to the local branch of the union.
4. Introduction of premium systems under the responsibility of the director, but on the condition that premiums be calculated from the fund of economy in the cost price of the product, obtained thanks to increased productivity.

5. Implementation of the principle of premium pay not only for workers, but also for all lower, middle and upper (directing) administrative and technical personnel, both on factory territory and in central institutions....

23. Since industrial elements in production have become dispersed in the process of applying the principles indicated in the preceding sections — for their return to enterprises the following preliminary measures are necessary:

1. Increase of the difference in pay between skilled and highly skilled workers on the one hand and laborers on the other.
2. Special premium supplement for improvements in methods of production and work.
3. Enhanced selection from among highly skilled workers of minor administrative-technical personnel (adjusters, instructors, designers, foremen, etc.) with additional pay.

24. Since in the process of revolution not only have skilled workers been dispersed, but the selection of new cadres has ceased, it is necessary to organize apprenticeship in factories on new foundations with state premiums for those giving their children to enterprises for training on the one hand; and with premiums for workers and masters on whom the success of training depends, on the other.

This is acceptable. The author simply forgot that "laborers" must be taught and raised a bit more carefully through the influence of the vanguard.

25/IV. Lenin.

Comrades Rykov, Tomsky, Schmidt!

I request you read this and give, even in just two words, your opinions.

25/IV. Lenin.

---

### NOTE TO V. YA. CHUBAR
[12 May 1919]

Sormov Factory:

So before the war there were 20-30 locomotives per month. Under Kerensky 3-4. After October 25, 1917 — 2 locomotives per month. Is that so?

And how much bread ration per day? 15 to 30 pounds per month?

---

### NOTE TO V. P. MILYUTIN AND P. I. POPOV

To Milyutin and Popov:

[22 July 1919]

Calculate approximately how many billions per month we will need if:

(1) quintet the grain prices (triple them);
(2) do not fix prices on industrial products for peasants, increasing them as much as possible up to the maximum price given by the peasant;
(3) sell grain and industrial products to workers and employees at old prices;
(4) count on Ukraine and the Urals and the Volga region and part of Western Siberia and the Don;
(5) regionalize grain prices;
(6) calculate conditionally how many billions will be required if wages are increased by 10%.

---

### EXCHANGE OF NOTES WITH L. B. KRASIN
[26 August 1919]

a.

NOTE TO KRASIN

Fruit sugar (glucose) obtained from wood sawdust (1 pud of sawdust yields 154 pounds of this syrup).

b.

RESPONSE TO KRASIN

Incredible: 18 pounds per pud!! 45%???

Sugar content? %

c.

KRASIN'S REPLY

Cellulose by the action of sulfuric acid is completely transformed into dextrin (a kind of starch) and further into glucose, and moreover with an increase in weight, since glucose is dextrin plus a particle of water. This reaction has been known for 100 years, but was technically unprofitable: there was no simple method to remove the sulfuric acid used for the reaction. Our chemist found a simple method of removing sulfuric acid, and therein lies the whole matter. An output of 45% has already been obtained in trials on factory scale (production of 3 puds per day). The method will have worldwide significance, since apart from its significance for nutrition, glucose is the starting material for alcohol, which we will make not from potatoes but from sawdust.

NOTE TO SECRETARY

Tomorrow by special note inform the Scientific-Food Institute that within 3 months they must present accurate and complete data on the practical successes of sugar production from sawdust.

---

### NOTES ON THE MELTZER FACTORY
[No earlier than September 1919]

Meltzer Factory (furniture — carpentry)

255,000 you need to receive

(5 weeks without pay)

...4 days printing resolutions — at the Special Council on Defense...

---

### NOTES ON THE WORK OF GLAVTEKSTIL
[Later than 30 September 1919]

Belyakov,

(2 months) in Glavtekstil

(deputy member of Glavtekstil)

Deputy member of the main board of Textiles for raw material procurement.

Reports many facts about bureaucratic conduct of affairs in Glavtekstil (extreme red tape and inactivity).

Not unwilling to go to Turkestan, but not under Osadkin (engineer), chairman of Turktekstilbyuro (as Nogin wants), but directly from the Turk. [Communist] presidium, at its disposal.

---

### INSTRUCTIONS TO SECRETARY

I.

12/X [1919]

Request from Skovno a complete set of printed appeals, instructions, rules, etc., issued by the Department of Utilization.

Lenin.

II.

1. XI. 1919

To the archives, but first ask Skovno to send me an excerpt from the printed report (it would be desirable to publish in Economic Life) and publish periodically.

---

### LETTER TO THE POLYGRAPHIC DEPARTMENT OF VSNKH

To the Polygraphic Department of VSNKH.

(Copy to the presidium of VSNKH).

26. XII. 1919

I request you immediately inform me:

1) When was Sytin's typographical establishment in Moscow nationalized (if it has been nationalized), which remained for a long time after 25. X. 1917 in private management;
2) the reasons for nationalization (were there special conditions in this regard or not?);
3) whether there is information (and what) about the condition of this typographical establishment after nationalization?
4) Who is on the administration of the nationalized typographical establishment? Local or regional?
5) What measures has the Polygraphic Department taken to improve matters?

Vice-Chairman of Sovnarkom V. Ulyanov (Lenin).

---

### ON RAW MATERIAL PROCUREMENT

DRAFT SOVNARKOM DECREE

[30 December 1919]

Instruct the VSNKH presidium [within one week] by Saturday the 2nd to rework the instruction [in such a spirit] that the decision of the 7th Congress of Soviets be fully implemented, in particular:

1) on the question of the right of refusal;
2) implement the principle of requisition more strictly and completely;
3) define detailed rights and conditions for the manifestation of local initiative and encouragement of its successes;
4) elaborate methods of combating red tape.

Within the same weekly deadline present the entire draft of the instruction mentioned in the decision of the 7th Congress of Soviets.

---

### NOTES ON A TELEPHONE COMMUNICATION FROM TSENTROZIHIR
[10 January 1920]

In response to a telephone communication received on the 10th of this January, Tsentrozihir reports the following:

Tsentrozihir does not deal with the utilization of carcasses of dead animals. In Moscow this matter is under the supervision of the Utilization Department of the city sovnarkhoz, which has specially equipped factories, but according to information received on the 10th of this January by telephone, these factories are idle due to lack of fuel; therefore by the Moscow city sovnarkhoz from dead animals are removed hides, hooves and tails, while the carcasses themselves are buried in the ground....

Received 10/1 1920.

1) How many such factories are there?
2) How much fuel is needed per month for [the largest] factory:
   a) with one shift?
   b) with 24-hour operation?

[signature of specialist]

---

### TELEGRAM TO THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE 3RD ARMY

Revolutionary Military Council of the 3rd Army.

12. I. 1920

I fully approve your proposals. I welcome this initiative; I am raising the question in Sovnarkom. Begin action on the condition of the strictest coordination with the civil authorities, devoting all forces to the collection of all food surpluses and restoration of transport.

Lenin.

---

### TELEGRAM TO THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE 5TH ARMY

Out of turn by direct wire

Revolutionary Military Council of the 5th. To Smirnov.

12. I. 1920

1) The Revolutionary Military Council of the 3rd proposes to transform the 3rd Army into a labor army for the economic advancement of the Urals, Chelyabinsk and Tobolsk Provinces. I fully sympathize with this, I am bringing it tomorrow to Sovnarkom. I request that you give your conclusion.

2) I am extremely concerned about the delay in delivering here 200 locomotives with food supply trains. It is necessary to accelerate using the most urgent revolutionary measures. By any means whatsoever achieve unconditional rapid fulfillment.

Lenin.

---

### LETTER TO A. D. TSYURUPA

Comrade Tsyurupa.

[12 January 1920]

The question raised by the Revolutionary Military Council of the 3rd has tremendous importance. I am placing it on the Sovnarkom agenda for 13/1 1920 and request that the interested commissariats prepare their conclusions by this deadline.

In my opinion, on 13/1 20 we must in Sovnarkom, first, approve in principle, second, publish for encouragement, third, confirm the basic principles of organization of this matter, if this is not immediately possible, establish a working commission for urgent elaboration of these principles.

Lenin.

---

### TELEGRAM TO THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE EASTERN LABOR ARMY

Ekaterinburg

Revolutionary Military Council, Labor Army.

10. II. 1920

Your inquiries I am submitting to the Council of Defense. Trotsky has departed to you. I personally fear that you are falling into projectionism, and the opposition of Bumazy and Maksimov into departmental intrigue. I advise you not to engage in disputes, but to throw all forces at the main thing, namely: 1) restoration of railroad transport, 2) collection and delivery of food, 3) collection of firewood, timber, barges at wharves. Inform me whether you can conduct this work in a coordinated, energetic, rapid manner.

Chairman of the Council of Defense Lenin.

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### COMMUNICATION TO VTSIK

21. III. 1920

The Sovnarkom submits for ratification by the VTSIK a list of enterprises subject to direct supervision by the central organs [of VSNKH and assigned to the "1st group" according to the VSNKH instruction to the VTSIK].

This list was unanimously adopted by the commission which the Sovnarkom established and confirmed by the Sovnarkom.

Vice-Chairman of Sovnarkom V. Ulyanov (Lenin).

---

### THESES ON CONCESSIONS
[25 March 1920]

1. The restoration of transport, equipment, and the raising of industry make necessary the obtaining from abroad of a significant quantity of goods, payment for which in the present situation can be made, apart from direct payment in gold and raw materials, which is insufficient, also through the granting of concessions.

2. By concession is understood the granting for temporary use to representatives of foreign industry of forest, water or land plots with natural resources found in them or in their depths for the economic utilization of these resources with the right to attract labor force from the population (in separate cases without this right), and also with the right to use state routes of communication, ports, electrical networks, post, telegraph and other public institutions.

3. In the interests of the RSFSR concessions are also granted which: 1) inflict no harm and do not compete with those branches of already nationalized industry which function correctly and sufficiently satisfy the needs of the country, 2) develop those same productions which we are not in a position to raise quickly by our own forces, 3) least exhaust the reserves of natural wealth and the labor force of the population and 4) in the shortest time and to the greatest degree increase the overall productive capacity of the country.

4. Mandatory conditions for each concession granted by the Soviet government are: 1) the obligation for concessionaires to observe all Soviet legislation, in particular the labor code, various safety regulations, sanitary decrees and special laws on the protection of minerals, forests, fish and other resources, etc.; 2) the inadmissibility of a monopoly extending across the entire country or to entire branches of industry.

Note: Exceptions may be permitted only in rare cases, insofar as the matter concerns certain monopoly inventions and production methods, to obtain the use of which on other terms proves impossible.

When significant areas are involved, the granting of a concession should be done not in one block but in a checkerboard pattern, so that the surveys, investigations, etc. conducted by concessionaires on the conceded black squares can be utilized by the Soviet government on the white squares remaining to the state.

The state is granted preferential right of purchase of products from concession enterprises.

Obligation upon the termination of the concession period to turn over all enterprises in full operation and maintain all structures and facilities in complete order throughout the entire term of the concessions.

The inadmissibility of special restrictions on Russian workers, foremen and technicians and on government representatives in familiarizing themselves with the organization and conduct of production, etc.

The terms for which concessions are granted are determined primarily by the peculiarities of the given branch of production in connection with the technical durability of equipment, the volume of product output, etc.

5. In the Soviet republic payment in money is impossible, therefore the most practical method of payment for the granting of a concession will be the permission to concessionaires to export a certain portion of the economic products they produce abroad, thereby realizing their profit on the external market. Concessionaires are granted the right to the inviolability of this portion of their property, the right to arrange warehouses, transportation by water and railway routes of communication and export abroad, etc.

6. Until special decrees, each concession is confirmed by Sovnarkom.

Chairman of Sovnarkom V. Ulyanov (Lenin).

---

## B. AGRICULTURE
JANUARY 1919 — MARCH 1920

---

### REMARKS ON THE DRAFT REGULATIONS ON COLLECTIVE CULTIVATION OF LAND
[January 1919]

Article 1. Collective cultivation of land is carried out within the limits of land communes or societies, implementing by the whole composition of their members or separate groups of them a properly organized application of labor and collective utilization of means of production in plowing and sowing of lands, harvesting of crops, and also in carrying out fundamental improvements of land.

Article 2. Collective cultivation is organized on the entire area of land of the commune and society or on a separate part of it; it can be established for the entire time or for a known period or for achievement of a specially established goal.

Note: 1) Under collective cultivation can be placed lands not distributed among individual holdings and plots remaining in the direct disposition of the society due to the absence, departure or death of their users, as well as which cannot be cultivated by the latter.

Article 5. The conversion of all lands of the society under collective cultivation is carried out by decree adopted by the majority of votes of the members present and qualified to vote at a society assembly.

Article 6. Any group of householders, regardless of its number, desiring to transition to collective cultivation of lands, the society is obliged to provide the corresponding area in those cases:

1) when a regular general repartition is carried out;
2) when the lands of these householders are located as a separate section or adjacent to one another in different fields;
3) when the allotment of a separate plot can be conducted without a general repartition of all lands and breaking of boundaries.

Article 7. If a group of householders with a total number of not less than 50 souls wishes to transition to permanent and complete collective cultivation, but the allotment of the necessary area is impossible without a complete repartition of all land of the society, which the latter does not consent to, then the allotment of land to one place for those wishing to transition to collective cultivation is carried out as a mandatory measure by decree of the district land department.

Article 8. Each group of householders from the composition of communes and societies which has transitioned on the basis of these regulations to permanent collective cultivation of all their lands constitutes an independent land unit, to which the regulations of the society concerning repartitions and disposition of its lands do not apply. Members of this group do not participate in the decision by the society of its land matters.

Article 11. The replacement of the labor participation of individual persons or families in collective cultivation through hiring of others or in the form of monetary contributions is not permitted.

Article 17. With the pooling of all implements and machines and draft animals, or with their shortage in individual holdings, the cultivation of kitchen gardens or other small plots remaining in private use, as well as the fulfillment of other economic needs of private holdings, is carried out by common equipment when it proves free from communal work. For private use of common equipment a special fee is established, entering the implement fund.

Article 21. For implements alienated from private labor holdings, the society can set compensation not exceeding, however, the established prices for the corresponding implement. Temporary communal use of implements belonging to individual members of the society can be paid according to the discretion of the society.

Article 23. The seed material necessary for sowing collectively-cultivated lands is compiled in distribution according to the society from contributions of individual holdings in kind or money for the purchase of improved seeds. From the harvest collected from communal fields, portions are set aside for seed reserve.

Article 24. To restore the fertility of the soil of communal fields, obligatory transportation of fertilizer from communal sources and from individual holdings is established, in the order determined by the society.

Article 25. In order to apply artificial fertilizers, a special capital is formed for the purchase of such, both from portions of income from the sale of products of communal fields and from contributions of individual holdings and society members according to distribution by the latter.

Article 31. The entire remainder of the harvest of non-normalized products, after setting aside portions for seed reserve and for the satisfaction of the needs of the members of the society, is delivered to food organs.

Article 38. For direct direction and organization of collective cultivation, an assembly of the society elects a committee of collective cultivation consisting of not fewer than 3 members, including the chairman, his deputy and secretary.

Article 40. To the committee belongs the right of compelling and imposing monetary penalties for the non-fulfillment by individual members of the established order of work fulfillment within the limits established by the society.

---

### NOTE ON A PEASANT'S LETTER ABOUT CONDITIONS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
[February-March 1919]

A cry from a poor peasant.

---

### ADDITIONS TO THE DRAFT SOVNARKOM DECREE ON THE SOWN AREA COMMITTEE
[4 March 1919]

c) Strengthen agitation in the press and in posters for greater attraction of workers.
d) The same — propaganda among the population of non-agricultural provinces on the actual state of affairs.

---

### ADDITION TO DIRECTIVES OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RCP(b) TO THE UKRAINIAN COMMUNIST PARTY
[11 March 1919]

In giving such a directive, the Central Committee of the RCP proposes to be guided by the established principle: from poor peasants — nothing, from the middle peasant — moderately, from the rich — much.

We advise determining the surplus as maximum, for example, 500 million puds across all Ukraine, for the requisition take one fifth or one tenth.

---

### ON THE QUESTION OF RELATIONS WITH THE MIDDLE PEASANTRY
[Late March-Early April 1919]

To plan urgent measures for the middle peasant:

1) Immediately weaken the extraordinary tax on middle peasants.
2) Send from the party (3 from the provincial committee) specially to work for the middle peasant.
3) Compose commissions from the center (a series of them) for dispatch to localities in defense of the middle peasant.
4) Work out and confirm the plan of Kalinin's tours. Publish the dates, places, methods for receiving petitioners, etc.
5) Participation in tours (according to points 4 and 5) from the Commissariat of Justice, Internal Affairs, Agriculture and others.
6) Campaign in the press.
7) A "Manifesto" on the defense of the middle peasant.
8) Verification (and revocation) of compulsory measures for joining communes.
9) Verification of food measures in such a direction as to ease requisitions, exactions and other measures on the middle peasant.
10) Amnesty.
11) "Recognition of the kulak."
12) Requisition of grain and forage.
13) Artisans and craftspeople are recognized.

---

### NOTES ON THE MANDATE OF PEASANTS OF SKOPIN DISTRICT
[5 April 1919]

The Skopin District Advisory Congress of Peasants resolved: ...

3) To petition for complete revocation of mobilization of milk cows, namely for the reason that our population has one milk cow left for every 8-10 people, and moreover horrible epidemics of typhus, Spanish flu and other illnesses rage among us, and milk is the only product for the sick. As for other products such as butter and fatty products, they are completely absent and cannot be obtained anywhere.

5) To petition for the removal of the poll tax from the middle and below-middle peasant....

Taxation of peasants of means below the middle with an extraordinary tax is unlawful. Measures for alleviating the burden on middle peasants have been adopted. A decree will be issued soon. On other questions I will immediately make a request to the Commissariats, and a reply will be sent to you.

5/IV 1919

V. Ulyanov (Lenin).

*

Remind me at Sovnarkom at Sereda and [Frumkin and] Svidersky.

It is necessary to compile, in agreement between the Commissariat of Agriculture and the Commissariat of Food.

---

### NOTES ON THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF THE MOBILIZATION ADMINISTRATION OF THE ALL-RUSSIAN GENERAL STAFF
[12 June 1919]

The struggle on all fronts requires tremendous strain on the military power of the country; we must mobilize hundreds of thousands of tillers, tearing them from the land, enfeebling the countryside, impoverishing agriculture.... On these grounds the military department took the initiative in the matter of aid to the countryside, in the matter of support to the families of Red Army soldiers fighting on the frontiers of Soviet Russia....

The most correct would be collective aid, aid rendered to communes and Soviet farms through artificial attraction to them of new forces hitherto not working in the sphere of agriculture. Such forces at present comprise several fairly numerous groups, forces which are lost completely uselessly for the construction of the country.

To such groups should be attributed: first, pupils of the unified labor school of all three levels during vacation time; second, ...; third, persons held in concentration camps for infractions and crimes insignificant in their significance for the modern state system; fourth, all city dwellers aged up to fifty years belonging to the bourgeois class and not living by their labor; fifth, unemployed city dwellers and speculators; and finally, those persons who themselves desire to resettle in the countryside for a period of not less than three years for work on the land....

In case of your agreement with the proposed measure, a corresponding draft decree can be worked out, in consultation with the Commissariats of Agriculture, Enlightenment, Internal Affairs, Routes of Communication, and the All-Russian General Staff, for submission to Sovnarkom.

---

### NOTES ON A TELEGRAM FROM THE OPERATING ARMY
[16 July 1919]

To Svidersky: what an outrage! How to respond? Get in touch with Sereda.

MILITARY SERVICEMAN 233rd Rifle Regiment Alexander Kashirin requested permission for the military to harvest grain in the conquered Cossack villages of the Ural region, since grain was standing unharvested in the fields. Notes were made by Lenin on Kashirin's telegram.

12С87

AMENDMENTS TO THE RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS ON THE CENSUS OF SOWN AREAS OF THE RURAL POPULATION

[24 July 1919]

For the purposes of accounting for sown areas, livestock, inventory, and the rural population in peasant and Soviet farms, the Council of People's Commissars decreed:

1) To conduct on the territory of the Soviet Republic a [sample] census of no more than 10% of peasant farms, a complete census of Soviet farms, communes and cooperatives, and monographic descriptions of peasant farms differing in their economic structure.

2) To entrust the Central Statistical Administration to immediately commence organizational work for conducting the census and to complete it in the shortest possible time, in no case later than 1 September 1919.

3) For successful conduct of the censuses, to mobilize the agronomic personnel of the Commissariat of Agriculture, the pedagogical personnel of the Commissariat of Public Education, the personnel of Komprod, and the personnel of local bodies of the Commissariat of Internal Affairs by agreement with the respective commissariats.

[4) To entrust the Central Statistical Administration to enter into communication with the aforementioned commissariats on this question.]

5) To allocate [as an extraordinary credit] an advance against the budget for the second half-year to the disposal of the Central Statistical Administration 25,000,000 rubles.

6) To reach an agreement with the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic regarding the conduct of a similar census in Ukraine.

Note. In case the difficulties of timely completion of the census prove to be significant, the Central Statistical Administration undertakes to achieve timely completion, even at the cost of reducing the scope of the census.

Approved.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars V. Ulyanov (Lenin).

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ON THE ORGANIZATION AND ACTIVITIES OF GUBERNIAL AND DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIONS OF SOVIET FARMS

5 AUGUST 1919

NOTES ON THE INSTRUCTION TO THE PEOPLE'S COMMISSARIAT OF AGRICULTURE

3. Into the disposal of the gubernial administration of Soviet farms pass the Soviet farms of the gubernia and estates named in articles 30 and 31 of the Regulations on Socialist Land Organization, from the day of the formation of gubernial administrations, regardless of whose jurisdiction these farms and estates previously fell under.

Note I. The provisions of this article do not extend to estates with breeding studs and stud farms, nor to plots having educational and demonstration significance (experimental stations and fields, etc.), which are temporarily retained under the direct jurisdiction of the special departments of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture.

5. Administrations of Soviet farms are organized by persons specially delegated for this purpose by the subdepartments of Soviet farms (Sovkhoz) or by representatives approved by the Sovkhoz of the gubernial land department. ...

6. The composition of the collegium of the gubernial administration includes. ...

Note I. The Sovkhoz may, without delegating its own representatives, approve as such local workers of the gubernial land department. ...

SKETCH OF REMARKS ON THE INSTRUCTION

1) former] land[owners], manag[ing] etc.
2) "half-share" [tenancy] permit[ted]?
3) bonuses? (article 56)
4) "assistance" to surround[ing] peas[ants] (article 59)
5) appeal[s] (article 37)
6) with consultative] voice [to] invite from sovkhozes
7) share from gubernial] land] departments
8) strengthen control

DIRECTIVES TO THE PEOPLE'S COMMISSARIAT OF AGRICULTURE ON MODIFICATION OF THE INSTRUCTION

Modify the instruction of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture on the organization and activities of gubernial and district administrations of Soviet farms and, through all organs of Soviet power, achieve real implementation of control, in the spirit of the following provisions:

1) Absolute prohibition for landowners or managers to occupy positions in sovkhozes of the same or neighboring district where these persons served [in] landowner authority.

2) Maintenance of lists of managers and employees in sovkhozes: with the same strict supervision over them as over military specialists, from the point of view of their counter-revolutionary character.

3) Strengthen the number of representatives of district and gubernial land departments in sovkhozes and district and gubernial land department control over them.

4) Demand from the trade unions increased attention and greater effort directed to workers' committees and their work.

5) Forbid the work of half-share [tenancy] and so-called [other practices] in sovkhozes.

6) Bring immediately to trial all boards of sovkhozes in cases where they fail to prove in fact their fulfillment of article 59 of the Regulations on Socialist Land Organization, that is, rendering assistance to the local peasantry.

7) Work out forms of reporting by sovkhozes and workers' committees to the local peasant population and informing it.

8) Demand monthly factual reports to the Council of People's Commissars from the People's Commissariat of Agriculture and from workers' committees plus 1 or 2 district land departments of the most important gubernias on the fulfillment of these rules.

9) Entrust the Central Statistical Administration to expand the monographic description of sovkhozes entrusted to them with questions necessary for verifying the realization of the aforementioned points.

10) Review the distribution of land to sovkhozes, especially from the point of view of excessive quantities of land in their possession or seizure by non-proletarian organizations.

11) Make the nomination of candidates to sovkhozes by district and subdistrict land departments [obligatory] a general rule.

12) Introduce the instruction and measures into the Council of People's Commissars, first passing them through a Commission composed of: Sereda, Sapronov, Vladimirsky, Tsyurupa, Milyutin, and Golubyev. Give the Commission a week's deadline. Entrust the convening and report to Sereda.

---

NOTES DURING RECEPTION

12. XII. 1919

1) Soviet farms] — 50 to 100 desyatinas.
2) Sugar beets only for seed in Soviet] farms (and machines); give the rest to peas[ants] for sugar beet sowing from the 3/4 share from 3/4
3) Committees of the poor and kulaks [to be] suppressed.
4) From kulaks agricultural] machines [to be] confiscated [and transferred] to rural] societies.
5) Don't touch Right-bank Ukraine...

---

AMENDMENT TO THE DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS ON ACCOUNTING FOR FOOD SURPLUSES IN SOVKHOZES

[23 December 1919]

The Council of People's Commissars at its session of 23 December 1919 decreed:

To establish a commission composed of representatives..., entrusting the commission to utilize the material available on the question of the extent of surpluses of food products obtained from Soviet farms of the State Control.

The commission's tasks must include submitting practical proposals to the Council of People's Commissars for better accounting and control of sovkhozes and measures for improving the conduct of affairs there.

---

NOTES ON SOVKHOZES

9/III 1920

Sovkhozes:
1) Around 500 desyatinas?
2) lease 15%
   for money
   for half-share
   for labor — no.
3) 3-7 desyatinas sown per 1 worker
   (norm 6 desyatinas)
   Productivity twice below norm.
   Small [farms] ... 1.7 desyatinas per 1 worker
   Large ... 4    "         "      "

4) 13% of grain [they] surrendered | of potatoes
   [of] milk
   and around 13% received    | 24%

5) 57% of income — loans.
   (up to 75% in credit)

6) + 3096 rubles per year    |
   — 7000 per 1 worker        |

7) organization of labor:
   mostly annual and contract [not daily].

Remind me when the question of sovkhozes [comes up].

---

ON MEASURES FOR IMPROVING THE ORGANIZATION OF SOVIET FARMS

DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS

[9 March 1920]

Place at the center of all work on improving the organization and economy of sovkhozes a decisive struggle, first, against the overtly landowner character of abuses which have appeared in the application of money and half-share leases and the like; second, against extreme insufficiency of labor discipline and extremely low labor productivity.

Demand from district land departments and sovkhozes precise data on what measures of struggle they have applied and what practical results have been achieved in fact. Appoint responsible persons and bring them to trial in case of non-fulfillment of this resolution and failure to eliminate abuses. Do not stop short of complete replacement of the entire administrative staff of the worst farms. Separate sovkhozes of educational-demonstration, special, production, and purely consumer type and register separately facts concerning the condition of these farms.

---

V. TRANSPORT
SEPTEMBER 1919 — MARCH 1920

ON GRANTING A CONCESSION FOR THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY

DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS

[4 February 1919]

1) The Council of People's Commissars recognizes the direction of the road and its general plan [as correct] acceptable.

2) recognizes concessions to representatives of foreign capital in general, from a principled point of view, as permissible in the interests of developing productive forces;

3) Deems the given concession desirable and its practical implementation [necessary] necessary;

4) To accelerate practical and final resolution, propose the initiators to present proofs of their references to their connections with solid capitalist firms capable of executing the work and delivering materials;

5) Entrust a special commission within two weeks [to clarify] present finally [such conditions] a draft agreement.

6) Within two weeks entrust the military [commissariat] to give a conclusion from strategic and military points of view.

From the point of view of commercial (and diplomatic) what do you think of such a resolution?

---

ON REGULATING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE ALL-RUSSIAN EXTRAORDINARY COMMISSION, THE RAILWAY EXTRAORDINARY COMMISSION, AND THE PEOPLE'S COMMISSARIAT OF RAILWAYS

RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE

28. II. 1919

To regulate the relations between the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission, the Railway Extraordinary Commission, and the People's Commissariat of Railways, the following provisions are established:

Comrade Belyakov is detailed from the People's Commissariat of Railways to the Transport Department of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for permanent liaison and work.

The People's Commissariat of Railways gives orders along its lines so that all complaints about the Railway Extraordinary Commission are directed exclusively to Comrade Belyakov, member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Railways.

[It is made] It is incumbent upon the Railway Extraordinary Commission to oversee the timely unloading of cargo by unloading organs and organizations, and, in case of failure to complete unloading within the deadline set by the Railway Extraordinary Commission, to hold them accountable.

[Agents of] Branches of the Railway Extraordinary Commission are granted the right to use the railway telegraph for a fee, with strict accountability for unnecessary use of the telegraph. A detailed instruction on the use of the telegraph and on payment methods is issued by the People's Commissariat of Railways and the chairman of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission by agreement.

Premises for the Railway Extraordinary Commission are provided from former premises [of gendarmes] railway police, regarding which the People's Commissariat of Railways issues a special order. Comrades Dzerzhinsky and Sklyansky are entrusted with issuing a joint instruction on the evacuation of military guard from these premises.

Food for the Railway Extraordinary Commission is issued from railway food organs on a general basis.

While the Council of Defense-imposed martial law on railways continues, Branch [Railway Extraordinary Commission] transport departments of the Commission are granted the right to apply the highest measure of punishment to persons caught engaged in bribery, theft of cargo and railway materials, and systematic debauchery by officials.

---

To Members of the Council of Defense.

28. II. 1919

The proposed points have been put through by me at a meeting of 28/11 with comrades Nevsky and Dzerzhinsky.

I request them to supply signatures from all members of the Council of Defense so that this extremely important agreement can be immediately put into effect.

In case of serious disagreements, I request immediate transmission to me by telephone with the text of the amendment.

Chairman of the Council of Defense V. Ulyanov (Lenin).

---

NOTE TO F. E. DZERZHINSKY

[8 April 1919]

Dzerzhinsky: What measures have been taken? Has the local Soviet or Executive Committee been arrested? Was there an investigation?

---

NOTES ON THE ALL-RUSSIAN CONGRESS OF REPRESENTATIVES OF AUTOMOBILE ORGANIZATIONS

[No later than 27 April 1919]

Remind me today at the Council of People's Commissars with Rykov.

2nd All-Russian congress of representatives of automobile organizations.

(opens) 27/IV. Until Saturday

How to constitute the board? Specialists (they have the majority) want... very few communists

Professionals [majority]
out of 27 — 7,

---

NOTE TO L. B. KRASIN

[7 October 1919]

Who for chairman?

Avanesov must be included!

---

ORDER TO SECRETARY

[31 October 1919]

Check by telephone with Glavtramat: what have they done? If they sent a telegram, what was it?

---

NOTES ON THE TELEGRAM OF THE COMMANDER OF THE 11TH CAVALRY DIVISION

[No earlier than 3 November 1919]

In days of incredible strain on our combat forces of the Southern Front, victoriously advancing forward, the strongest threat is the chaotic state of railway transport at the points: Kozlov—Ryazhsk, Kozlov—Gryazi. No measures in the struggle against railway sabotage, amounting sometimes to treason, are effective. A vicious circle has formed: one railway worker throws his obligations on another, mutual insubordination, trains standing idle for several days before the semaphore. There was a case where a railway worker sent to open the semaphore simply went to sleep; all this makes it almost impossible to fulfill urgent operational assignments....

To Krasin: What has been done?
Has an investigation been appointed?

NOTES ON A MEMORANDUM FROM L. B. KRASIN

The concrete accusation is only the case with the semaphore. Information has been requested from the place; it would be the obligation of the military to provide more precise data. The general gloomy picture applies equally to transport, to food, to supplies, and to the army itself. Blaming everything on transport is also not proper.

Request again (when information arrives from the place).

---

NOTES ON THE TELEGRAM OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF CAR NO. 27

[No later than 29 November 1919]

Mail car No. 27..., traveling from Ruzayevka [to] Penza, was held at Ruzayevka station for 48 hours. Despite repeated written demands, the station superintendent, conductor, and duty officers of all shifts [did not] dispatch the car. During our stay, more than 10 trains passed in the direction of Penza. On the part of the station superintendent [and] duty officer for mail movement, complete sabotage. I request an order to dispatch the car to Penza.

What is the matter?

NOTES ON A MEMORANDUM FROM S. D. MARKOV

I received this telegram and ordered an investigation. I will report on the results. It is possible that the car was not attached because the trains were passing in full formation.

Remind me when there is a report.
Monitor.

---

ON IMPROVING THE MANAGEMENT OF RAILWAY TRANSPORT

DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS

[2 December 1919]

The Council of People's Commissars entrusts the Communist Party [leadership] to work out within a week a detailed decree (or instruction) concerning the participation of workers and workers' organizations, especially trade unions, in the management of railways, training of workers for management, and so forth.

---

ORDER TO SECRETARY

[No earlier than 25 December 1919]

To the Council of Defense on the agenda and entrust Krasin (or Lomonosov) immediately to draw up a draft resolution (on withdrawing [personnel] from the army) and coordinate with Sklyansky.

---

TELEGRAM TO THE KHARKOV GUBERNIAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Kharkov Gubernial Executive Committee or Gubernial Revolutionary Committee
To Sapronov
Copy to Vladimirova

26. XII. 1919

The situation with transport here is so grave that heroic efforts are needed both for delivering coal here and even more for intensified repair of locomotives. Mobilize your best forces on this, check personally, introduce payment in grain for each repaired locomotive, restore the best workshops, introduce two and three shifts. Telegraph the execution.

Chairman of the Council of Defense Lenin.

Outside normal order by direct wire inform me the hour of receipt by the addressees in Kharkov.

Lenin

---

ON THE PETROGRAD COMMISSION FOR THE REPAIR OF RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK

DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS

[30 December 1919]

The Council of People's Commissars, recognizing as incorrect the resolution of the Military [Council (Committee of Defense)] of the Petrogr[ad] fortified district, published in [the newspaper] 290 (483) of 20. XII. 1919 in the Petrogr[ad] "Pravda," because this resolution was adopted bypassing the People's Commissariat of Railways, entrusts the Military Council (Committee of Defense) of the Petrogr[ad] fortified district immediately, tomorrow, to rework its resolution [after preliminary] discussion] in accordance with telephone instructions of the people's commissar of railways and in strict correspondence with the requirement of the resolution of the 7th Congress of Soviets on the subordination of all trust enterprises and especially important state enterprises to their central administrations.

---

TELEGRAM TO S. T. KOVYLKIN

Kovylkin, Yekaterinburg or at [your] location.

[End of 1919]

You have been appointed by the Council of Defense chairman of the Special Committee for the Implementation of Martial Law on Railways and head of the Transport Department of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission while retaining [your position as] member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Railways and with introduction into the collegium of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission. In view of the all-state importance of the Special Committee, I propose you immediately come to Moscow and telegraph me [of] the time of your arrival [in] Moscow.

Chairman of the Council of Defense Lenin.

Notify me of the time the telegram was received.

Lenin.

---

ON THE REORGANIZATION OF THE MAIN COMMITTEE FOR MANAGING WATER TRANSPORT

DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS

[3 January 1920]

Entrust [to] rework the draft of the Main Water Administration in such a way that the rights of the chairman of the Main Water Administration be defined according to the type [of] chairmen of regional administrations [and the Council of People's Commissars merely approves the chairman of the Main Water Administration and members of its collegium]. Remove the details of the departments of administration, etc. from the draft.

---

ON THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT OF THE ALL-RUSSIAN EXTRAORDINARY COMMISSION

DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE

[16 January 1920]

The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission is obliged within three weeks to issue a detailed instruction defining not only the order of action of the Transport Department of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission, but also establishing strict accountability of agents of the Transport Department of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission for oversight or failure to report cases of sabotage or speculation.

In particular, agents of the Transport Department of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission must be in contact with communist and professional cells of the genuinely proletarian part of railway workers not [using their official position] [having opportunity to use their service trips] using their official position for systematic speculation.

---

TELEGRAM TO THE SIBERIAN REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE

Omsk Siberian Revolutionary Committee.
To Smirnov, Revolutionary War Council 5.
To Frumkin
Copy to Sverdlov

29. 1. 1920

Paykes reports that sabotage by railway workers in Siberia and from there to the west is obvious. He has written down examples [that are] outrageous.

Among other things:
In the Omsk railway workshops around 3000 workers. [They] were producing around 3—4 cars per month, locomotives 0. The workshops were not destroyed, the delay in fuel was negligible. They suspect sabotage by former Izhevsk workers resettled in these workshops. With the transfer of locomotives here there is obvious delaying [of operations].

---

ON THE CATASTROPHIC SITUATION OF TRANSPORT

I. LETTER TO MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE

Members of the Council of Defense.

1/II [1920]

The situation with railway transport is altogether catastrophic. Grain has stopped being delivered. To save ourselves, truly emergency measures are needed. For 2 months (II—III) such measures must be carried out (and corresponding other measures of this kind must be devised):

I. Reduce the current grain ration for those not working in transport; increase [it] for those working.

Let thousands more perish, but the country will be saved.

II. Take [responsible] workers from all commissariats except the Commissariat of Food and the Military, for 2 of these months in railway transport and repair. Correspondingly close (or reduce 10-fold) for 2 months the work of other commissariats.

III. In a 30—50 verst zone on both sides of railway lines introduce martial law for labor mobilization for clearing paths and in the volosts of this district transfer 3/4 of responsible workers from volost and district executive committees of the entire corresponding gubernia.

---

II. NOTES AT THE SESSION OF THE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE

Session of 2/II 1920.

[List of speakers]

Khalatov
Svidersky
Markov
Krasin
Trotsky
Dzerzhinsky

RECORD OF SPEAKERS

Milyutin
Sklyansky
Avanesov
Krasin
Lenin
Markov

Sklyansky
[Tomsky] Avanesov
Milyutin
Krasin
Dzerzhinsky
Trotsky

DRAFT RESOLUTIONS OF THE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE

(1) 50—100% routes.
(2) Kazan road.
(3) Samara—Zlatoust—Chelyabinsk
   ?
   [to strengthen movement of food]
(4) strengthen food loading in Chelyabinsk district
(5) [detail] highly responsible workers to repair workshops (Petrograd and Moscow)
(6) Bonuses [in] goods and commodities
(7) Repair [of] train on western Front
+ (8) Dispatch of Arzhanov
(9) Military-conscripted] assistants to heads] of roads
— (10) 16 days [to] give to army
(11) remove workers from All-Russian Extraordinary Commission to transport
(12) Repair workshops [to be] equated with transport[ation]
(13) Reserves of Chuso, transferred to Komprod, give] to workers of transport
(14) specialists of railway[workers] from State Construction Committee and other departments of Supreme Economic Council and other commissariats [to take to] transport mobilization
(15) Increase [quantity] of military forces (40,000) for fighting snow drifts.
(16) ad 5 + members of Central Executive Committee
(17) strengthen subbotniki [volunteer work days] for repair
(18) Martial law 30—50 versts
(19) Volosts near railway lines strengthen [with] workers.
(20) Workers on fuel especially strengthen.
(21) Request Organization Bureau of Central Committee for circular through [the] party and [for] strengthen[ing] work in the indicated direction
(22) Review [the] plan of transportation for the purpose of strengthen[ing] food and fuel [supplies].
(23) close some factories and transfer to repair
(24) supply [of] shovels and gloves
(25) snow-clearers and their distribution
(26) instruct[ion] [of] agents of track service.

---

RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE FROM 2. II. 1920

1. — a) Grain delivered by trains formed by railway workers is transferred to railway organizations in the quantity of 100%.
Entrust comrade Svidersky to make a report on the quantity of grain received.

b) Entrust the People's Commissariat of Railways, the People's Commissariat of Food, and the Revolutionary War Council of the Reserve Army to fulfill a determined daily norm of loading on the Kazan railway of 140 cars and take measures to accelerate their delivery.
Appoint a weekly report to the Council of Defense by comrades Markov and Svidersky.

c) Entrust the People's Commissariat of Railways to accelerate the movement of military echelons along the Samara-Zlatoust railway and to take more energetic measures for the movement of 10 food trains in the district between Samara and Chelyabinsk.

d) Entrust Komprod through conversations by direct wire to take measures to strengthen loading of food in Western Siberia and inform the Revolutionary War Council of the 1st Labor Army of this, proposing to it to render all possible assistance.

e) The Council of Defense obligates all commissariats to put forward suitable candidates from among their best and most responsible workers for their temporary detachment to railway repair workshops in Petrograd and Moscow for the purpose of improving repair and the general organization of railway transport work. These workers are detailed without removal from their permanent work, for a determined number of hours per week.
Propose [to] the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee to provide some workers, partly for use at the center, partly for dispatch to the provinces.
Request the Organization Bureau to render all possible assistance in intensified dispatch of workers to individual roads and in particular to the disposal of Politput. Entrust comrade Rozengolts to publish in the newspapers both about this resolution and the names of the detached workers and the commissariats dispatching them.

f) Entrust Chusosnabarmu to agree with the People's Commissariat of Railways, with the participation of the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions, regarding the use of a known part of articles of military material supply as bonuses to transport workers for the purpose of raising the productivity of their labor, setting aside part of military supply products for providing transport workers with the most necessary production clothing.
Chusosnabarmu must conduct this operation (supply of clothing) through the established organs.

g) Propose Komprod to supply from those reserves which have been transferred to Chusosnabarmu, first and foremost transport workers.
Appoint a report on the fulfillment by comrade Svidersky at the next session of the Council of Defense.

h) Extend the agreement of the People's Commissariat of Railways with the Western Front to other Fronts.

i) Dispatch comrade Arzhanov to the railway district serving the Caucasian Front as plenipotentiary representative of the People's Commissariat of Railways and the People's Commissariat of War in the matter of railway transport and military communications. This district is subject to special determination by agreement of the People's Commissariat of War and the People's Commissariat of Railways. In railway matters, subordinate comrade Arzhanov entirely to the People's Commissariat of Railways.
The People's Commissariat of Railways is granted the right to attach to comrade Arzhanov its representative as a commissar.

j) By agreement of the People's Commissariat of Railways and the People's Commissariat of War, with the participation of the Central Administration of Military Communications, military assistants representing the military commissariat are appointed to the heads of railways.

k) Entrust the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission and the Main Administration of Railway Political Education to work out an agreement on temporary detachment to transport of workers of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission and special departments.

l) Workers employed in the repair of locomotives and production of spare parts for transport are to be equated in terms of food supply with workers and employees of railway organizations.
The list of enterprises engaged in the repair of locomotives and production of spare parts for transport is to be coordinated with the People's Commissariat of Railways and presented to [the Council of Defense or to] the Council of People's Commissars.
Appoint a report by comrades Krasin and Milyutin on Thursday at the Council of People's Commissars.

m) Entrust the Revolutionary War Council of the Republic to take the most energetic measures to strengthen the dispatch of military units for clearing snow from railway paths. Regarding the districts where military force is to be directed, enter into an agreement with the committee for fighting snow drifts.

n) Entrust the All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions and the Committee for the Repair of Rolling Stock, as well as the People's Commissariat of Railways to take measures to accelerate and strengthen the application of subbotniki in the field of railway transport repair.

o) Entrust the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs to introduce martial law in the district of 50 versts on both sides of the railway.

p) Entrust the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs to issue a circular to gubernial executive committees on strengthening with responsible workers the composition of those volost and district executive committees located in the railway district of 50-verst zone.

q) Entrust comrade Vladimirsky to gather the representatives of gubernial executive committees present in Moscow, as well as members of the congress of departments of administrations for the purpose of successful implementation of labor conscription for fighting snow drifts, at which request comrade Dzerzhinsky or his representative to give appropriate instructions from the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission. Appoint a report on execution by comrade Vladimirsky at the next session of the Council of Defense.

r) Entrust the Military commissariat, the People's Commissariat of Railways, and the Internal Guard Troops to work out measures of more intensified protection of fuel trains.
Present the agreement for the signature of comrade Lenin. In case of disagreement, present to the Council of People's Commissars.

Entrust the Chief Fuel Administration to strengthen the supply of railways with fuel.

s) Entrust the Supreme Council on Railway Transportation to review the plan of transportation for the purpose of maximum strengthening [of fuel and] food and fuel transportation.

t) Obligate the People's Commissariat of Railways to distribute its reserves of shovels and gloves in accordance with the labor force.
Obligate the Supreme Economic Council to strengthen supply of shovels.

u) Entrust the People's Commissariat of Railways at the next session of the Council of Defense to present data on the actual course of registration of railway specialists (decree of Council of Defense from 10 December 1919) and on measures for its complete implementation.

v) Entrust the Chief Fuel Administration at the following session of the Council of Defense to present considerations on the possibility of creating a reserve of fuel on the railways, if only for seven days.

Chairman of the Council of Defense V. Ulyanov (Lenin).

I draw the utmost attention of all leading Soviet workers to these decisions. The situation with transport is desperate. To save it, truly heroic and revolutionary measures are needed.

2/II 1920.

Lenin.

# FUEL

JANUARY 1919—MARCH 1920

**3748**

ANNOTATIONS ON A TELEGRAM FROM THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCIL OF A GROUP OF TROOPS OF THE KURSK DIRECTION.
[23 January 1919]

In the region of the Donets, the Rubizhansk Works, Lopashnaya and other stations occupied by troops of the Kursk direction group, there is considerable coal. The first train consisting of 35 cars was dispatched from Valuyki on 13 January at 7 p.m. directly to Moscow at the disposal of Comrade Lenin. It is necessary now to establish an organization at the staff of the revolutionary military council group specifically for the unloading and distribution of coal. Until directives arrive from the center, coal will be transported by means of the revolutionary military council group and directed to Moscow. [437]

★

To Kirsanov¹ and Rykov: 
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?

¹ N. N. Kirsanov — in 1919, member of the collegium of the Supreme Council of the National Economy.

**24447**

ORDER TO SECRETARY¹
[24 April 1919]

Make contact with Lomov,² and if he is not available, with Liberman³ or someone else from Glavles, and record what has been done.

¹ The order was prompted by a telegraph request from the coal section of the Ukrainian Council of the National Economy (from Kharkov) regarding the adoption of measures to protect against requisition and theft of construction materials prepared by mines of the Donets Basin.

² A. Lomov (G. Oppikov) — chairman of the Main Forestry Committee.

³ S. N. Liberman was a member of the collegium of Glavleskom.

**14737**

TELEGRAM TO THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCILS OF THE VOLGA REGION*
[April — May 1919]

In view of the critical situation with liquid fuel, it is forbidden under threat of the strictest responsibility for anyone to expend or issue liquid fuel without permission from Glavneft. Those guilty of unauthorized seizure and expenditure of liquid fuel are to be immediately handed over to the revolutionary tribunal.

Chairman of the Council of Defense, Lenin*

¹ The telegram was addressed: "To the newspapers and by telegram to the executive committees, Council of People's Commissars and revolutionary military councils of Astrakhan, Ukraine, Saratov, Batraki, Samara, Kazan, Nizhny, Kineshma, Yaroslavl, Rybinsk."

**4331**

ANNOTATION ON A TELEGRAM FROM THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE 8TH ARMY¹
[2 June 1919]

To Milyutin: what have you done?

¹ In the telegram to the Council of Defense, the Revolutionary Military Council of the 5th Army requested that orders be given to cease the export from Tsaritsyn of oil suitable "for the production of gasoline."

**24533**

ORDER TO SECRETARY.
[11 June 1919]

Require from the Supreme Council of the National Economy an exact and brief (3 lines) report of WHAT, WHEN, HOW MUCH has been issued to Krasin on demand.

¹ The Revolutionary Military Council of the 6th Army requested urgent release of oil and fuel oil for the Dumo Works, which operated in Tsaritsyn on the armoring of ships and Pullmans.

**4232**

ANNOTATION ON A TELEGRAM FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE EXTRAORDINARY COMMISSION FOR SUPPLYING THE ARMY¹
[12 June 1919]

To Sklyansky with notification to Stalin and Zinovyev.

¹ In the telegram from the chairman of the extraordinary commission for supplying the army, information was reported on the supply of the Caspian and Baltic fleets with coal.

FUEL

**17608**

TELEGRAM TO THE NIZHNY NOVGOROD DISTRICT MILITARY HEADQUARTERS*
[18 July 1919]

Do not yet attract Red Army soldiers. For unloading firewood, organize compulsory labor of the entire population. Take all measures [for] the speediest unloading. Telegraph daily how much has been unloaded and what has been done. [765]

Chairman of the Council of Defense, Lenin.

¹ When discussing the question "on the state of firewood rafting" at the session of the Council of Defense on 18 July 1919, the rapporteur on this question, G. I. Lomov, was entrusted with: "Taking the most energetic measures, jointly with the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions, to mobilize workers and the entire population in N. Novgorod for unloading firewood" (Protocol of the Council of Defense No. 56, p. 12, dated 18 July 1919).

**24610**

TELEGRAM TO A. G. SCHLICHT ER¹
By direct wire
Kiev
Commissar of Food Schlicht er
19/VII [1919]

For the export of firewood already prepared in Volyn and Podolia for railways serving military needs, it is necessary to provide immediately and in reality 10 cars of grain provisions and groats and 15 cars of bread fodder for the first month. Non-provision of this quantity of bread will necessitate permission for suppliers to make independent firewood purchases at free prices in the Novgorod-Volyn and Kanev—Cherkassy regions. Reply immediately and with complete accuracy as to what you can provide. Promise only what can actually be fulfilled, with responsibility on your part, indicating where, how much, and when it can be obtained.

Three days [i.e., by 22 July] are given in Moscow for receipt of your answer. [759]

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Lenin.

OUTSIDE THE ORDINARY ORDER.

Lenin.

Inform me OF THE HOUR when it is delivered.

Lenin.

* The text of the telegram was apparently composed by Lomov, signed by Lenin. Ed.

** The text of the telegram was composed by A. D. Tsyurupa, annotations, signature and insertion "no more than three days"—in Lenin's hand. Ed.

**12534**

ON THE CRITICAL SITUATION OF FUEL AND TRANSPORT.
DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS ¹
[30 September 1919]

THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS RESOLVED TO APPOINT A COMMISSION [OF] COMRADES:

TSYURUPA

to discuss the question of the critical situation in fuel and transport.

¹ The draft was adopted by the Council of People's Commissars at the session of 30 September 1919 upon the resolution of a question introduced by Lenin "on the approval of a commission for discussion of the fuel question" (Protocol of the Council of People's Commissars No. 319 dated 30 September 1919).

**14692**

TELEGRAM TO THE TURKESTAN CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE¹
Tashkent, TurkTsIK
Copy: Revolutionary Military Council of the First Army, TurkCom, Elpaia
29 October 1919

Glavneft is establishing works in the Temir region to clarify the results of prospecting for oil wells laid earlier at Martuks, Duse, simultaneously utilizing for general purposes a portion of drilling equipment for urgent prospecting of oil in the Volga region. The entire program of work of Glavneft bears a responsible, extremely urgent character according to emergency plans for supplying the country with fuel. The business at Glavneft has already been organized, and responsible leaders have departed. Any delay in the implementation of the program causes irreparable harm to the Soviet republic. It is proposed not to place any obstacles [and] red tape to the matter, which is being conducted under the full responsibility of Glavneft. Obstruction will be regarded as deliberate sabotage [to] wreck the republic's cause. [926]

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Lenin.

Text of the telegram printed on a typewriter and signed by Lenin. Ed.

**1237**

LETTER TO GLAVTORF.
To Glavtorf.
11.XI. 1919

Regarding the report sent for 1919:

1) it is desirable to publish SUMMARIES in "Economic Life" (and send me 1 copy).

2) With an abundance of detailed tables — there is NO summary TOTALS:
— comparison of production in 1918, 1919 and earlier (number of days? % of machines operating? etc.)
— brief map? or distance from railway station?
— conditions for bringing all machines into operation?
— comparable data on production depending on consumption (food and manufactures)?

Lenin.

¹ On the back of this letter is the following note by N. N. Radchenko, chairman of the Main Peat Committee in 1919: "On 11 November 1919 at 1 p.m., Comrade Lenin was sent a report on the peat campaign of 1919. In response to it on the same day at 11 p.m., this review was received."

**23789**

ANNOTATIONS ON A TELEPHONOGRAM¹.
25/XI [1919]

I report that the district councils of Moscow... appoint representatives to the localities who do not know the work, are not energetic, are sick, demanding and politically illiterate. I ask you to take appropriate measures....

★

25/XI

Comrade Kamenev! What is your opinion? Shouldn't something more be done?
Return this with a brief review.

¹ The telephonogram was received by Lenin from the chairman of the Moscow gubernatorial extraordinary committee on fuel.

**24742**

ANNOTATIONS ON TELEGRAMS FROM THE RYBINSK GUBERNATORIAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
**24741**
[26 November 1919]

I ask for a reply: by telegram No. 978 the Yaroslavl gubernatorial executive committee is sending to the operational regiment not only employees of Glavleskom, but also workers. Such actions undermine the fuel preparation effort. [1033]

★

? . . . ? . . . To Sklyansky: how did you reply?

**24742**

[26 November 1919]

Mass removals from work and dispatch by order of the Yaroslavl gubernatorial executive committee to the operational regiment of responsible irreplaceable workers threatens stoppage of work at the timber preparation sites. Request urgent measures to halt such orders, ruinous for timber preparation. [2779]

★

? To Sklyansky: how did you reply?

**24743**

ORDER TO SECRETARY¹
[27 November 1919]

Check whether Sklyansky replied.

The chairman of the board of the Yuryevets sawmills addressed a telegraph petition to Lenin requesting appropriate clarifications to the Yuryevets military commissariat on the question of removing from work and detaching to the ranks of troops employees of militarized enterprises of Glavleskom, in particular the Yuryevets sawmills. The order was written by Lenin over the text of the telegram received by him.

**12848**

SUPPLEMENT TO THE DRAFT INSTRUCTION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS ON FIREWOOD PREPARATIONS¹
29/XI 1919

Addition to the note to § 62.

This average norm, however, cannot be less than five cubic meters per month for persons not over 50 years of age and four cubic meters for persons over 50 years of age.

Pres. of the Council of People's Commissars, V. Ulyanov (Lenin).

* Between the word "operational" and the question marks Lenin drew a connecting line. Ed.

¹ The draft instruction "On Firewood Preparations" was discussed and adopted by the Council of People's Commissars on 29 November 1919. The instruction was published in "Izvestiya of the Central Executive Committee" No. 269 of 30 November 1919 as a supplement to the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of 21 November 1919 "On the Attraction of All Employees of the Forest Service... to Firewood Preparations." ("Izvestiya of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee" No. 268 of 29 November 1919).

² The note to paragraph 6 of the draft was formulated as follows: "For employees of the forest service not engaged in the work specified in the present paragraph and subject to personal labor conscription, gubernatorial forest committees establish an average norm according to local tariff regulations for sawyers and woodcutters."

**4660**

NOTE TO S. D. MARKOV.
11. XII. 1919

Comrade Markov!

Please read the enclosed and return it to me with your opinion: is it possible, etc.?¹

Greetings! Lenin.

¹ Lenin has in mind a letter in which F. Syromolotov, member of the presidium of the Supreme Council of the National Economy, proposed organizing a regular supply of oil shale from Simbirsk to Moscow. Markov replied as follows: "Today the question of the possibility of transportation will be considered in the Supreme Council on Transportation, but I believe that it will be difficult to export shale from Simbirsk, since grain is transported in that direction, which we can barely handle."

At the top, over the text of Markov's reply, Lenin made a note: "to the archives (for reference) on shale."

**3713**

ORDER TO SECRETARY¹.
[23 December 1919]

Brichkina: Contact Ksandrov—what have you done.

* Written on a telegram containing a request for emergency delivery of firewood to the Kolpino Works, which worked for the defense of the country.

¹ V. N. Ksandrov was at that time a member of the collegium of the Commissariat of Railways.

**24771**

TELEGRAM TO I. N. SMIRNOV.
Omsk and at the location of the
Revolutionary Military Council of the 5th, Smirnov
26. XII. 1919

Regarding your No. 4211: redirect not one hundred, but two hundred echelons and locomotives¹. Direct all forces to accelerating [transport] with coal and road unloading, as well as to protecting property from plunder². Keep me informed more frequently of progress. [991]

Lenin

¹ In the telegram addressed to Lenin (No. 4211), I. N. Smirnov, member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the 5th Army, reported on the progress of work on loading coal from Kolchugino and the Kuznets Basin.

² This concerns the protection by Red forces in Omsk and along the railway line to Irkutsk of the property of Kolchak's retreating army.

**15330**

ANNOTATIONS ON A TELEGRAM FROM THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE 5TH ARMY.
[1 January 1920]

The Kuznets Basin has been entirely captured, with 8 thousand people working at the Sudzhan and Anzher mines. Coal on the surface: 750 thousand puds, daily extraction 200 thousand; there are insufficient technical supervisors. This threatens a reduction in extraction. For this group of mines, a board has been formed under the chairmanship of Comrade Chugurin. The second group of Kolchugino mines has approximately a million [puds of] coal on the surface. Workers have been taken by the army for all types of maintenance except money. The unloading of the Siberian Railway will occur within the next three weeks. Partisans have begun to be incorporated into reserve regiments. We hope within a month to transform them into disciplined regular troops. [4272]

★

COPY FOR KRASIN*

and this copy [for the] AGENDA [of the] COUNCIL [OF DEFENSE]

1) Taking of workers for the [army's] maintenance¹
(telegram of Smirnov)

¹ This question was discussed at the Council of Defense on 16 January 1920.

**4688**

ANNOTATIONS ON A TELEGRAM ON THE STATE OF THE CHELYABINSK COAL MINES¹.
[4 January 1920]

...for four months following the abandonment of the mines by the Whites, not only has nothing been done to increase coal reserves in open and underground workings, but due to the inexperience of the leaders, the reserves, which constitute the main sources of extraction, will be completely exhausted within the next one or two months, and reducing underground work to the required output of 1,500 thousand per month I consider impossible. Likewise, nothing has been done even for primitive equipment of open workings, construction of dwellings for workers, supplying the latter with necessary clothing, as well as feed for horses, which here can be done without particular difficulty. The technical and administrative personnel of the Chelyabinsk region until recently consisted of three young Urals foremen with very little experience, and only by order of the Uralo-Siberian Commission on the 20th of this December has an engineer Yakovlev, sent by the Commissariat of Railways, been added to them. Turning to facts, I note: coal concealed in borrow pits amounts to 3,000 thousand puds.... The administration of the region has compiled estimates for uncovering within the coming year borrow pit reserves of 25 million puds of coal, for which it is necessary to extract 135 thousand cubic fathoms of ore or daily cubic fathoms; production of such work will require excavators with a capacity of 150 cubic fathoms per day, with crews and engineers well acquainted with the organization of excavation. On site there are 4 excavators with a total capacity of 450 cubic fathoms per day; what is needed is 1 more civil engineer, 1 coal mining engineer....  [760]

N.B. To Glavugol: I ask you to return this to me with a REVIEW of what has been done to help from here.

Lenin.

¹ The telegram was sent from Omsk by V. M. Sverdlov.

**15834**

ORDER TO SECRETARY¹
[5 January 1920]

To Svidersky for report to the [Council of] Defense.

¹ The order was written by Lenin on a telegram from the authorized representative of the Special Committee on Fuel, who reported on the state of fuel preparations and supply to railways, the Fleet and factories in the Urals.

**13331**

CORRECTIONS TO THE RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE ON THE FUEL QUESTION*.
[9 January 1920]

For the purpose of organizing the administration of fuel work in the localities, the Council of Defense resolves:

1. All institutions that have issued mandates to fuel representatives (the Council of People's Commissars, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, people's commissars, the presidium of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission and the Moscow Extraordinary Commission, all chief committees, chief departments and central departments) must within a [2-week] 3-day period transmit copies of these mandates to the Special Committee at the Council of Defense on the implementation of military rule on railways.

2. The Special Committee is directed within a [monthly] weekly period from the date of publication of the present resolution to conduct a census of fuel representatives and present a report to the Council of Defense.

Chairman of the Council of Defense: V. Ulyanov (Lenin).

* Printed from a copy on a machine; corrections and signature in Lenin's hand. Ed.

**4703**

RESOLUTION ON THE REPORT ON COAL DEPOSITS IN THE BRYANSK REGION¹.
14/1 [1920]

To Glavugol for urgent reply: 1) Do they know about this?
2) What exactly is known?
3) Is there literature on this coal?
4) What has been done?
5) What is being done?

Lenin.

¹ A report on deposits of coal, sulfurous pyrite and sand for porcelain ware in the Bryansk region came to the Council of Labor and Defense from a member of the unloading commission at the Bryansk railway junction, representative of the 14th Army, P. N. Solonko. Noting that insignificant coal development is being conducted by the Maltsev works, Solonko raised the question of organizing new mines.

**12047**

ANNOTATION ON A TELEGRAM ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF ALGEM-BA¹.
31/1 [1920]

Comrade Lomov! It is necessary to order the State Committee of Construction [to prepare] by tomorrow a report and report it to the Council of People's Commissars. Show it also to Krasin.

Urgent.

Lenin.

¹ In a telegram of 29 January 1920, the commander of the 4th Army, setting forth his objections to the construction of the Algai-Emba road, proposed for discussion by the Council of Labor and Defense a plan for constructing the Uralsk—Emba line along the Guryev tract. The following considerations were cited in favor of this plan: shorter length of the line, passage through populated areas, possibility of rafting materials along natural waterways, etc.

**12050**

NOTE TO N. P. GORBUNOV¹
[31/1 [1920]

Comrade Gorbunov! It is necessary to push Glavugol, FORMALLY remind them.

And a letter to the press.

Lenin.

¹ A delegate from the Algrushev district of the Donbass, N. Meshkov, informed Lenin in a letter that the loading of 30 thousand puds of coal extracted for Moscow workers is being delayed due to a requirement for armor from the Council of Defense, since without armor the coal might be requisitioned by the railway.

N. P. Gorbunov — manager of the affairs of the Council of People's Commissars.

**29015**

TELEGRAM FROM THE FIRST LABOR ARMY¹
20 February 1920

Glavleskom reports:

In view of the disruption of transport and the impossibility of transferring provender [forage] from the Urals to the consuming gubernias of central Russia, in order to intensify timber preparation and export of firewood, it is necessary to use these reserves on site by intensifying forest preparations on the northern Urals. According to Glavleskom data, there are approximately 700 thousand ready firewood in the forests of the Urals, which must be exported. It is necessary to organize large regions of timber preparation and export through the labor army and population in the Verkhoturye district and the Tavda region for the needs of Urals industry and the supply of timber materials to the steppe areas of Western Siberia for purposes of commodity exchange with these regions, as well as in the Solikamsk and Cherdyn districts, partly for local needs, but mainly for rafting firewood and construction materials to the lower Volga [and] for supplying timber to the Don and Transcaucasia. [97]

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Lenin.

Chief of Glavleskom, A. Lomov.

¹ Timber preparations on the Urals were the subject of repeated discussions at the Council of Labor and Defense. Thus the question "On the Fall in Labor Productivity on the Urals" was discussed at the Council of Labor and Defense according to reports from Lomov and Svidersky on 23 and 30 January and 17 February 1920. In addition, on 16 and 23 January, the question "On Multiple Authority in Timber Preparation on the Urals" (Lomov) was a separate item on the agenda in connection with tensions that existed between civilian organs and the Labor Army (Yekaterinburg).

* Printed from a copy on a machine. Date, words "Glavleskom reports" and signature written by Lenin. Ed.

**TELEGRAMS TO L. B. KRASIN.**

**53022**

Commissar of Railways Krasin, copy Saratov, Moskovskaya 30, Budassy copy Moscow TsT and Glavkomgosooru.

[21 February 1920]

To ensure continuous track laying from 1 March, it is proposed to take the most energetic measures [for] the dismantling, dispatch and delivery of rails, fastenings for Algem-ba, reporting weekly to the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars the quantity of separately removed, dispatched and delivered [to] Krasnyi Kut materials. Send to Krasnyi Kut—Budassy 250 thousand ties from the Ryazan-Urals from Uvek and Uleshy, in exchange for which Komgosooru will raft down the Volga. Report on execution. [101]

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Lenin.

¹ Budassy—chief engineer of the oil pipeline and railway line being constructed in 1920: Aleksandrov-Gai—Emba ("Algem-ba").

**23018**

II*.

Commissar of Railways, Comrade Krasin, copy Komgosooru.

[21 February 1920]

In support of the military-urgent works of Komgosooru in 1920, I propose to issue to its disposal, no later than 1 March, 3 thousand annual tickets, one thousand agency [tickets], thousand books of single tickets, 200 books of work orders¹. Report on execution. [102]

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Lenin.

¹ The tickets were to be issued to workers and agents of the Committee of State Construction for free passage on the railway. The request for the issue of tickets was connected with the construction of the railway line Aleksandrov-Gai—Emba.

* Printed from a copy on a machine, signed by Lenin. Ed.

**23091**

TELEGRAM TO E. M. SKLYANSKY¹.

To Deputy Commissar of War, Comrade Sklyansky, copy TsUNVOSO, Komgosooru, copy Saratov, Moskovskaya 30, Chief Engineer Budassy.

[21 February 1920]

In view of the failure to provide assistance to Algem-ba by railway troops, it is proposed to immediately dispatch to Saratov two railway divisions ready for work. Report on execution. [103]

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Lenin.

¹ Construction had tremendous significance for resolving the question of delivering oil to Moscow and Petrograd, but encountered great difficulties in supplying this remote enterprise with construction materials, labor, food and equipment. In connection with these circumstances, the Council of Defense on 29 April 1921 adopted a decision to cease construction of the oil pipeline. Construction of the branch Aleksandrov-Gai—Emba by resolution of the Council of Labor and Defense of 6 May 1921 was transferred "from shock tempo to ordinary."

**25029**

TELEGRAM TO M. V. FRUNZE¹*.

Tashkent. TurkFront. Frunze.

[24 February 1920]

Immediately in the most urgent order assemble two mail trains: half [of the cars] loaded with oil, half with gasoline, dispatch [to] Moscow. Take energetic measures [for] urgent dispatch of trains [under] your escort [and for] priority movement [to] Moscow. Report on execution by telegraph. Inform [us] how things stand with Cheleken oil and oil in general.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Lenin.

Chief of the Supply Section of the Labor Army, A. I. Rykov.

¹ In mid-January 1920, our troops occupied the Dossor oil fields (western part of the Kazakh ASSR), connected by oil pipeline with the Bolshaya Rakushechnaya wharf (on the Caspian Sea), where approximately 12 million puds of oil were discovered.

M. V. Frunze, commander of the Turkestan Front, urgently reported this to the Council of Defense, the Revolutionary Military Council and the Supply Section of the Labor Army.

* Printed from a copy on a machine; signature in Lenin's hand. Ed.

** Printed from a copy on a machine. The last phrase and signature—in Lenin's hand. Ed.

**23032**

TELEGRAM TO THE SAMARA AND SARATOV GUBERNATORIAL PARTY AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES.

Samara
Gubernatorial Committee of the RCP
Executive Committee
Deputy Commander of TurkFront, Auksent'yevsky
Saratov
Gubernatorial Committee of the RCP
Executive Committee
Chief Engineer of the Emba Railway, Budassy

[24 February 1920]

The construction of the railway and oil pipeline to Emba is of paramount importance. It is necessary to help with all forces and accelerate in every way. Organize agitation, establish a permanent relief commission, apply labor conscription; everything in agreement with Budassy, building this road. Report on execution regularly by telegraph. [119]

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Lenin.

**4830**

LETTER TO K. A. ALFEROV¹

Komgosooru
Comrade Alferov¹

[24 February 1920]

The Commissariat of Railways finds your requirement for 3,000 tickets, etc., excessive and absolutely impossible to fulfill. Arrange a meeting with Comrade Ganetsky (Commissariat of Railways, Ganetsky's office)² and reach an agreement with him on the issue of tickets (at the construction site)² in a strictly necessary quantity.

Pres. of the Council of People's Commissars, Lenin.

¹ K. A. Alferov—member of the Small Council of People's Commissars, deputy chairman of the Main Committee of State Construction.

² Y. S. Ganetsky worked at the Commissariat of Railways in the capacity of member of the collegium.

The tickets were requested by Komgosooru for workers and employees engaged in the construction of the railway line Aleksandrov-Gai—Emba (Algem-ba).

FUEL

**25040**

ANNOTATIONS ON A TELEGRAM FROM ENGINEER BUDASSY¹

26/II [1920]

Copy to Krasin, Rykov and Sklyansky: with the assignment from me to compose a joint reply and give it to me for signature.

Lenin.

¹ Chief Engineer of the Emba line, Budassy, in a telegram of 25 February proposed a series of measures for organizing the work of railway battalions, regular supply of uniforms, food, equipment and technical property. In addition, Budassy proposed a plan for restoring the Aleksandrov trade school in Saratov, to ensure the construction had necessary technical personnel.

**25055**

TELEGRAM TO F. F. RASKOLNIKOV.

Astrakhan
Commissar of the Fleet, Raskolnikov
Copy to the Revolutionary Military Council of the 11th [Army], Kirov¹
Copy to the Astrakhan Gubernatorial Committee of the RCP

27. II. 1920

It is necessary to strain all forces so that, losing not an hour, with maximum precautions, all oil is transported from Guryev immediately upon the opening of navigation. Reply immediately whether all measures have been taken, what is the state of readiness, what types [of vessels], whether the best people have been assigned, who is responsible for ensuring safe transport by sea. [128]

Lenin.

¹ S. M. Kirov—member of the revolutionary military council of the 11th Army; F. F. Raskolnikov—commander of the Volga-Caspian Fleet.

**25077**

TELEGRAM TO G. I. LOMOV

Arkhangelsk
Member of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the National Economy,
Lomov

[9 March 1920]

Try to find or assign the task of finding printed materials and reports on the oil-bearing region of the Ukhta River in the museum of the society for studying the northern region and in the administration of state property. [157]

Lenin.

**3767**

ON THE ATTRACTION OF FOREST RANGERS TO TIMBER PREPARATION WORK.
DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF DEFENSE¹.

[21 March 1920]

The Council of Defense resolved:

1. To declare a strict reprimand to Glavleskom and all gubernatorial forest committees for negligent and inadmissible attitude shown by them toward implementing in practice the resolution of the Council of Defense of 21 November 1919 on the attraction of forest rangers to timber preparation work². Warn that the entire composition of Glavleskom and Gubernatorial Forest Committees will be brought to trial if they do not prove full dedication to the fulfillment of the law.

2. The Council of Defense declares that the meaning of the resolution of the Council of Defense of 21. XI. 1919 requires fulfillment by all without exception—with the exception of a single exemption indicated below—by forest rangers of a personal labor norm of not less than 5 (for persons over 50 years of age—four) cubic meters per month, independent of their regular work.

The Council of Defense entrusts all gubernatorial extraordinary commissions, under the strictest supervision of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission, [to carry out] enforce the implementation [of punishment against all those [workers]] employees of the forest service who have not proved fulfillment of the law on personal work in firewood preparation in the indicated quantities, whereby the punishment cannot be less than personal arrest for several Sundays.

Note. Exemption from punishment is granted only to those employees of the forest service who were specifically freed from personal work on firewood preparation by precise orders or resolutions of the respective gubernatorial forest committees or other authorized forest organs, provided that the gubernatorial extraordinary commissions verify that those freed from personal work were actually engaged in necessary work on firewood preparation.

4. The gubernatorial extraordinary commissions are obliged to present to the Council of Defense a brief monthly report on the fulfillment of this resolution.

¹ The draft was written by V. A. Avanesov, deputy commissar of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection. Lenin crossed out the entire text of the draft with the exception of paragraph 1 and replaced it with his own text. The draft, as amended and supplemented by Lenin, was approved by the Council of Defense on 12 March 1920 (Protocol of the Council of Defense No. 104 dated 12 March 1920).

² This refers to the resolution published in "Izvestiya of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee" No. 268 of 29 November 1919, of the Council of Defense of 21 November 1919 (erroneously written as "1920" in the document): "on attracting to firewood preparations all employees of the forest service and all forest organs of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture..."

**53104**

TELEGRAM TO G. E. ZINOVYEV¹

Petrograd, Smolny, Zinovyev
and to the chairman of the Supreme Council of the National Economy of the northern region, Kotlyakov.

Copy: Petrograd, Algem-ba.

[19 March 1920]

In view of the exceptional state significance of the military-operational railway Aleksandrov-Gai—Emba being constructed [in] urgent order [in accordance with the earlier instructions of the Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense of 24 December of the past year], I ask your categorical instruction to all subordinate institutions and organizations: of the civilian administration, military department and Supreme Council of the National Economy, on all-around assistance to the agents of the Petrograd representative office of the said railway for the successful fulfillment of the responsible tasks assigned to them [and in particular on the categorical prohibition of any requisition of property, eviction and compacting of apartments occupied by employees of the railway. I ask for urgent execution of this and report on the measures taken]. [182]

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, Lenin.

* Printed from a copy on a machine. Signature and supplement to the address—in Lenin's hand. Ed.

**4891**

ORDER TO SECRETARY¹.

20/III 1920

Find Portnov (through Dzerzhinsky).

¹ This order was written by Lenin over the text of a report by Portnov on the investigation of the Donets coal basin and the salt mines of the Bakhmut region. Lenin underlined the heading of Portnov's report twice.

**4927**

ANNOTATIONS ON A REPORT OF I. M. GUBKIN.

[24 March 1920]

[Vladimir Ilyich!

I take advantage of the right you have given me of direct appeal on matters of the Chief Shale Committee.

In the commission of the presidium of the Supreme Council of the National Economy on distributing enterprises managed by the chief committees of the Supreme Council of the National Economy by category, the shale developments of the Petrograd region near St. Veymarn have been classified as enterprises of the second category and thus excluded from the direct management and supervision of Glavshlanets and turned over to the disposition of the Petrograd Gubernatorial Supreme Council of the National Economy. The commission took the point of view that the combustible shales of Veymarn can be used only as local fuel and do not at present have all-state significance. The point of view of Glavshlanets, whose opinion was not heard in the Commission, on shale work in general and in particular on the shale work of the Petrograd region, is somewhat different.]¹

In the opinion of Glavshlanets, the shale work of the Soviet republic has great state significance with a large future in the sense of industrial prospects....

The presidium of the Supreme Council of the National Economy took a completely correct point of view, concentrating all shale work under the control of a single organ—Glavshlanets. Therefore, violation of this basic organizational principle by the removal of parts of this work from the direct management of Glavshlanets is harmful to the entire work and in particular to the work currently being conducted in Veymarn....

My second request to you is to help us obtain from Glavvodtransport two dredges for mechanical extraction of sapropel in the Ostashkov region of Tver gubernia, where at present extraction is being conducted by hand. This matter has been dragging on since last summer. In the fall, Glavvodtransport promised to give us the dredges and postponed delivery until spring, since the shallow water would not allow the dredges to be transported to Ostashkov. Now Glavvodtransport refers to TsUPVOSO, saying that all dredges have been transferred to it for Front needs. Glavshlanets appealed to A. I. Rykov, Chief of the Supply Section of the Labor Army, and received from him support for its petition. But Glavvodtransport, despite this, still is not giving us the dredges and says it needs an order from you. We ask only for two dredges and even from the upper reach, where one can manage without these dredges....

★

1) Reply to Gubkin²: I am not convinced by his arguments, because gubernatorial shale of Petrograd remains in direct contact with Glavshlanets.

A distillation plant must be built on the Volga, because Veymarn is very close to the border.

2) Request Rykov's opinion.

¹ The text, which we have placed in square brackets, was crossed out by Lenin. Numbering of individual passages of the report, annotations in the margins, underlines in the text, made by Lenin in blue pencil.

² I. M. Gubkin—chairman of the collegium of Glavshlanets.

**4902**

LETTER TO A. I. RYKOV.

To Comrade Rykov.

28/III [1920]

The seizure of 15 million puds of gasoline in Grozny¹ compels us to adopt a series of urgent and important measures, such as:

1. Especially strict protection of gasoline.
Military measures. Special responsibility of the military.

2. Calculation: how much we need (maximum).
The rest—abroad for locomotives.

3. Collection of trucks (from everywhere, especially from the army) and their repair for transportation of bread to stations.

4. Mobilization of trucks and drivers for this purpose.

5. Transport of gasoline to central depots.

Perhaps you will convene a meeting (from the Commissariat of Food and the military department) on this question and submit the committee's proposal to the Council of Defense?

I ask you to do this URGENTLY.

Lenin.

¹ Grozny was occupied by Red forces on 25 March 1920, simultaneously with Maikop.

---

# FINANCING OF ECONOMIC CONSTRUCTION

MARCH—DECEMBER

**ON PRELIMINARY FINANCIAL INSPECTION.**

**20 MARCH 1919.**

**3121**

NOTE TO K. I. LANDEAU.
Landeau.

So according to the law one can hold up everything because of a part? You did not answer this question.

P. 12419

**DRAFT RULES ON PRELIMINARY INSPECTION.**

Entrust a Commission from...¹ to work out practical rules in the shortest time:

1) on strengthening responsibility for unlawful holding up of statements in full because of incorrectness of a part;

2) on acceleration of movement of allocations for wages;

3) on especially accelerated procedure for the movement of allocations for defined groups of economic, industrial-productive expenses;

4) on the obligatory presence of officials of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection in those institutions where inspection is connected with economic operations.

¹ The note to Landeau, a member of the collegium of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection, was written by Lenin at the session of the Council of People's Commissars on 25 March 1919 during discussion of the question on preliminary audit by the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection of the financial activities of government institutions. One of the reasons for the discussion was the refusal of the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection to approve a payroll for employees of the Shatur construction, with the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection holding up the entire payroll because of incorrectness allowed in one of its parts.

After an exchange of views on this question, the Council of People's Commissars adopted the draft of practical rules proposed by Lenin on preliminary inspection and selected a commission of two persons, which was entrusted to, on the basis of Lenin's draft and materials from the Supreme Council of the National Economy, draw up a draft resolution on preliminary financial inspection. The presidium of the Supreme Council of the National Economy, having discussed this question on 28 March 1919, decided to submit to the Supreme Council of the National Economy a petition for the immediate publication of resolutions adopted by the Supreme Council of the National Economy on this question.

The draft resolutions of the Supreme Council of the National Economy on preliminary inspection were approved by the Council of People's Commissars on 31 March 1919 and published as a decree in "Izvestiya of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee" No. 74 of 5 April 1919, under the heading: "On Changes in the Rules of Preliminary and Actual Audit."

The decree of the Council of People's Commissars (rules) "On the Conduct of Audit by the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection" was published in "Izvestiya of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee" No. 263 of 1 December 1918.

**3991**

ANNOTATIONS ON A TELEGRAM FROM L. N. KRITSMON¹.
[4 April 1919]

The issuance of money tokens in the amount of 50 million to Kharkov and 25 million to Kiev is utterly insignificant and cannot save not only the upcoming sugar campaign, but even the works themselves from destruction. The situation is completely exceptional in its danger.... We urgently beg you to save an enormous branch of the economy, which could provide sugar and bread, by emergency transmission immediately of at least 150 million [to] Kharkov and 100 million [to] Kiev.

★

To Rykov: what has been done?

¹ L. N. Kritsmon, in the capacity of authorized representative of the Supreme Council of the National Economy, was dispatched to Ukraine for conducting the sugar campaign.

**1027**

ORDER TO SECRETARY¹.
[14 April 1919]

Check¹ with Krestinsky whether all 10 million was sent to Tver to the forest committee. If so, compose a telegram to Tver to the forest committee.

¹ In response to Lenin's request, Krestinsky replied in a telephonogram: "Nogin asked to send to Tver 24, we sent 22. Syromolotov asked 10 for the forest committee, we sent 8. Both sums are blocked. There was a representative from Tver today, he remained satisfied. In my opinion, there is no need to send telegrams."

Upon receipt of Krestinsky's telephonogram, Lenin made an annotation on it: "to the archives."

**4044**

NOTE TO N. N. KRESTINSKY.
17/IV [1919]

Comrade Krestinsky! This was reported by Evnevich. Return it to me with your opinion¹.

Lenin.

¹ Lenin has in mind a letter of 17 April 1919 from Evnevich, an employee of the Chief Committee for the Management of the Rubber Industry.

In the letter Evnevich reminded of the necessity to issue an instruction supplementing the decree of the Council of People's Commissars "On the Liquidation of Debts of State Enterprises." This decree was published in "Izvestiya of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee" No. 52 of 7 March 1919. An order to the Supreme Council of the National Economy, the Workers' and Peasants' Inspection and the People's Commissariat of Finance on the preparation of an instruction to the decree "within a week" was given by the Council of People's Commissars in paragraph 6 of the mentioned decree.

**24318**

TELEGRAM TO THE UKRAINIAN COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS.

Kiev
Council of People's Commissars
To Rakovsky

28. V. 1919

In your telegram No. 1815 again complaints about lack of money. Krestinsky assures [me] that very much has been sent. They completely agreed with Litvinenko¹. Once and for all it is necessary to end the misunderstanding. Find out immediately how much was received, how much is in transit. Reply quickly, accurately, under your joint signature and Litvinenko's, by cipher, exactly how much you need. We are not stingy, but you guarantee proper distribution.

Lenin.

¹ I. Litvinenko—people's commissar of finance of Ukraine; in 1919 was part of the Ukrainian Council of People's Commissars as representative of the Central Committee of the party of the Ukrainian Borotbists. From March 1920, after the merger of the Borotbists with the RCP(b)—member of the RCP(b). In 1922 he managed a gubernatorial land department in Podolsk gubernia. In the fall of 1922 he was shot by remnants of Petlyurist bands during an inspection of the district for grain procurement in the vicinity of the city of Vinnitsa.

**4216**

NOTE TO N. N. KRESTINSKY.

To Krestinsky

[11 June 1919]

How much? When was it sent? What is the reason that we HAVE [to] AND CAN [NOT]?

Lenin.

In a telegram from Smolensk, the Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee M. I. Kalinin reported to Lenin on the necessity "in the most urgent order to transfer monetary signs of the Minsk and Smolensk provinces for distribution by districts," in order to prevent disruption of urgent work on timber procurement.

Lenin wrote a note to Krestinsky on Kalinin's telegram. Above the document, on the left, Lenin's notation: "to the archive for reference."

FINANCING OF ECONOMIC CONSTRUCTION

NOTES TO Y. S. GANETSKY.
NO EARLIER THAN JULY 16, 1919.

I.

To Ganetsky: draft the text of a reply.

To Ganetsky: such text will not do. It must be drafted thus: we promised you such-and-such million by such-and-such a deadline. We have sent you such-and-such amount then-and-then and will send you such-and-such amount then-and-then.

Draft such a text at once.

NOTE TO N. N. KRESTINSKY.
[End of August 1919]

Unclear — when will we be able to [produce] 600 million per day?

Two shifts of 12 hours is after all impossible.

Consider whether it is possible to add one more shift — 3 shifts of 8 hours.

NOTE TO N. N. KRESTINSKY.
[No earlier than September 1, 1919]

One cannot requisition all at once, and moreover this is not a decree draft.

I propose: entrust [to] — 5 commissars

or reach agreement on measures

or submit a decree draft to the SNK.

NOTE TO T. I. POPOV.

T. I. Popov.

[No later than September 1919]

Have you verified:

1) Whether 100 boxes have been received?

2) Whether they have been stored in a safe place?

3) What is the security?

TELEGRAM TO THE PERM AND YEKATERINBURG PROVINCIAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES.

Perm — three addresses: provincial executive committee. To the Commissar of the Perm Railway Emshanov. To the Commissar of the Perm Goznak Factory Minkin.

Yekaterinburg — provincial executive committee. To the Member of the Revolutionary Military Council Lokhachykov.

To the Member of the Board of the People's Commissariat of Railways Kovylkin.

To the Commissar of the Perm Railway Rudov.

[October 20, 1919]

In view of the necessity to urgently equip and launch the Perm Goznak Factory we propose all civil, military and railway institutions to render every possible assistance to the commissar — director of the Factory, comrade Minkin. Regarding execution, telegraph and by all opportunities send precise written reports about work actually completed.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Lenin.
People's Commissar of Finance Krestinsky.

EXCHANGE OF NOTES WITH N. N. KRESTINSKY.
[December 1919]

NOTE FROM KRESTINSKY.

Chutskayev reports that Larin and Co. have been discussing for the third evening a resolution on the monetary system, proposing to suggest at the Congress of Soviets the abolition of money. It seems this is happening even without Syromolotov, with whom we have coordination. Propose to Rykov that all resolutions be presented for preliminary approval, not excluding Larin's future resolution.

LENIN'S REPLY.

I agree. Remind me tomorrow by telephone.

E. COOPERATION AND TRADE
MARCH 1919 — MARCH 1920

ON CONSUMER COMMUNES.
A.

AMENDMENTS TO THE DRAFT DECREE ON CONSUMER COMMUNES.
[March 16, 1919]

The difficulty of the food situation requires emergency measures to save the country from famine and for the greatest economy of forces and means.

In the sphere of distribution it is therefore necessary to create a single distribution apparatus. This is all the more urgent and pressing in that all distribution organs (consisting primarily of three groups: food organs, Workers' Cooperation, and civil cooperatives) receive the majority of products from a single source, and friction between these three groups has already become in practice an unbearable obstacle to the work.

The unification of existing distribution organs must be accomplished in such a way that the main apparatus of proper mass distribution, namely cooperation, as the only apparatus created and tested by multi-year development under capitalism and by practical experience, is not destroyed and not discarded, but rather placed as the foundation of the new, preserved, developed, and improved.

Proceeding from these principles, the Council of People's Commissars decrees:

1. In all cities and rural localities Consumer Cooperation is unified and reorganized into a single distribution organ — the Consumer Commune.

2. In creating the Consumer Commune the following is taken as the foundation: in cities — the existing workers' Cooperation, and where it does not exist — the general civilian [cooperation], in rural localities — the existing rural consumer Cooperation.

3. In cities and factory-plant centers a unified Consumer Commune is formed. In rural localities the population of a number of villages may unite into a single District Commune (multi-shop cooperative).

4. The Consumer Commune includes all the population of a given locality. Each citizen is obliged to become a member of the Commune and register at one of the shops of the Commune (distribution point).

[5. Each citizen, beginning from the age of 18, upon joining the Commune, if he was not previously a member of a cooperative, contributes a membership share. Installment payment of the share in accessible portions is permitted.]

10. To the consumer communes reorganized in this manner the local food organs transfer all work of distribution of products and items of first necessity. All Soviet and cooperative shops, stores, warehouses and all kinds of other distribution points, without any exception whatsoever, pass over to the consumer communes.

11. The apparatus of provincial unions and the Central Union, in the measure of their reorganization, is entrusted with the execution of state plans for distribution of food products and items of first necessity among individual consumer communes, according to plans and under the control of the corresponding food organs.

13. Until the holding of elections for the boards of consumer communes and their unions in accordance with the present decree (paragraphs 5–9), the previous boards of workers' or civilian cooperations remain temporarily at the head of the communes and their unions, respectively, depending on which of them forms the foundation of the given consumer commune. If necessary, the boards of both types of cooperations may be combined by decree of the provincial food commissions or the People's Commissariat of Food.

Note: In large cities and factory-plant centers, temporary boards, with the permission of the People's Commissariat of Food, may be created through election at joint meetings of factory committees, trade unions, and councils of workers' cooperative delegates. [In Petrograd and Moscow at these elections the plenum of Soviets also participates in the electoral assembly.]

17. All officials of cooperatives and consumer communes from the day of the present decree do not have the right to leave their positions without permission of the Soviet authority, in the same manner as employees of food organs.

[18. Newly included representatives of state organs in the temporary boards, possessing equal voting rights with other members, partly share with them the management of separate branches, partly conduct work on the speediest implementation of the present reorganization.]

19. In order to achieve greater speed in economic decisions, as well as to establish stricter and more precise responsibility of officials, all boards of communes and union of communes are obliged to distribute completely precisely [the present] permanent work and temporary assignments among their members.

20. The right to representation in the chief administrations, centers, and other central and local state organs that belonged to the consumer cooperation is transferred to the temporary boards and henceforth to properly organized consumer Communes and their unions.

21. The implementation of the present reorganization is entrusted to the Food Commissariat, to which passes the cooperative department of the Supreme Council of the National Economy with the exception of [productive] productive cooperations.

RECORD OF THE MEETING.
March 16, 1919.

Krestinsky. 9:49
Frumkin. 9:52
Milyutin. 9:53
Nogin. 9:55
Lenin. 9:58
Schmidt. 9:59
Kamenev. 10:00
Krestinsky. 10:01
Rykov.

Schmidt, Nogin,
Chegodayev,
Ryazanov,
Schmidt,
Schmidt,
Schmidt,
Krestinsky, Svidersky,
Kamenev,
Schmidt,
Nogin,
Schmidt,
Lenin,
Krestinsky,
Milyutin,
Kamenev,

Frumkin,
Schmidt,
Kamenev,
Krestinsky,
Ryazanov,
Krestinsky,
Milyutin,
Schmidt,
Ryazanov,
Maksimonov,
Kamenev,
Rykov,
Frumkin,
Lenin,
Nogin,
Kamenev,
Rykov,
Milyutin,
Ryazanov,
Krestinsky.

TELEGRAM TO THE YAROSLAVL FOOD COMMISSAR.

Yaroslavl
To the Uprodscommissar Vishnevsky
Copy to the provincial food committee

March 28, 1919

The board of the Yaroslavl union of consumer societies accuses Vishnevsky of issuing a directive on reorganization that destroys the Rostov cooperation as a technical apparatus. Send me a copy of this directive and the opinion of the workers' cooperation as well as of the provincial food committee.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Lenin.

NOTATIONS ON THE LETTER OF I. I. SKVORTSOV.
[March 28, 1919]

The All-Russian Council of Workers' Cooperation at its meeting of the 26th of March unanimously elected comrade A. I. Rykov as a member of the temporary board of the All-Russian Economic Center of workers' cooperation. Informing you of this, the presidium of the All-Russian Council of workers' cooperation requests you, in view of the special importance of the tasks falling to the economic center, especially in connection with the decree of the Council of People's Commissars on consumer communes, to give comrade A. I. Rykov the possibility in the very near future to actually enter the composition of the said board.

★

Comrade Rykov! Your opinion? Lenin.

NOTATIONS ON THE LETTER OF V. P. NOGIN.
[Before April 18, 1919]

The presidium of the Council of workers' cooperation outlined the following composition of the temporary board of the Centrosection....

It is necessary to elect 11 persons, and the only disputed matter is Bonch-Bruyevich. Instead of him Lezhava proposes Ivanov, a Petersburger komprodchik....

(I am for. Lenin)

Show [this] to Krestinsky.

NOTE TO THE ORGANIZATIONAL BUREAU OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE.

To the Organizational Bureau of the CC.

[April 18, 1919]

In my opinion, the author is right. It is necessary to decide once and for all:

Consult first with the "leaders" or responsible representatives.

Lenin.

ON THE RESULTS OF PRODUCT PROCUREMENT.

DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE MEETING OF FRACTIONS OF THE CENTRAL UNION AND FOOD COMMISSARIAT.
[October 2, 1919]

Appoint 2 factual reports from the fraction of the Central Union and from the Food Commissariat at an SNK meeting on the implementation of decrees of March 20, April 3, and July 3, with figures on the results of procurement by products and provinces, on the number of procurement contracts, the number fulfilled, unfulfilled, etc., with detailed description of one contract and one procurement district and distribution, with data on our conquest of non-commercial — and commercial work of cooperation and [on the abolition of] on the transformation of bourgeois cooperation into socialist cooperation.

NOTATIONS AT THE MEETING OF THE FRACTION OF THE CENTRAL UNION AND FOOD COMMISSARIAT.

Meeting October 9, 1919.

Reports:

O. Yu. Schmidt: general on the implementation of the decree of March 20.
8:27 — 8:50

Solts: non-commercial activity.
8:50 — 9:00

Skvortsov: 9:00 — 9:07

Sammer: commercial activity of the Central Union. Voykov, Tsyurupa.
9:07 — 10:10

Pilyavsky: administrative apparatus. (Workers' questions.)

Sammer: procurements of the Central Union.
10:07 —

Svidersky: procurements of the Food Commissariat.
10:51 —

(Instruction department)

[Non-commercial activity.]

Solts and his role

Lenin. 11:40

Sheinman.

Rozovsky. 11:27

Tsyurupa.

Voykov. 11:31

Krestinsky.

Schmidt.

Lezhava.

Editorial collegium:

Solts
Skvortsov
Schmidt
Krestinsky

(Report was given in June)

July 2, 1919 — decided.

First meeting — July 8, 1919.

(July 15, 1919 I left for the Urals)

About 1 month ago — Mirov was dismissed;
[only from this moment...]

The secretarial collegium was then dismissed (about two weeks ago).

ON THE COMMODITY FUND.

DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE SNK.
[March 2, 1920]

Entrust the People's Commissariat of Foreign Trade to enter into agreement with the People's Commissariat of State Control and the Cheka on the struggle against those concealing goods and supplies that may serve, among other things, as a fund for export abroad.